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[Effectiveness of brief infusions with Ginkgo biloba Special Extract EGb 761 in dementia of the vascular and Alzheimer type]
Haase J, Halama P, Hörr R.. Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 1996-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
In a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 40 patients with a mean age of 68 (+/- 12.5) years suffering from moderate dementia (Alzheimer, vascular, or mixed type) according to DSM-III-R criteria were included. Severity of the disease had to correspond to stages 4 or 5 of Reisberg's Global Deterioration Scale. Infusions of either EGb 761 or placebo were administered 4 days per week for 4 weeks. Primary outcome measure was the activities of daily living as assessed by the Nürnberger-Alters-Beobachtungsskala (NAB). The Clinical Global Impressions of change (CGI, item 2) and the actual intelligence as assessed by the Kurztest für Allgemeine Intelligenz (KAI) were further target variables. No relevant group differences could be detected at baseline. After therapy, patients of the active substance group scored significantly better (p < 0.05) on each outcome measure than those who received placebo. Using a sequential testing procedure, a global significance level of p < 0.05 could be assured. Superiority of EGb 761 therapy was also found with respect to a self-rating scale for instrumental activities of daily living (Nürnberger-Alters-Alltagsaktivitätenskala), the improvement of the most prominent symptom of illness, and the decrease of depression. Thus clinical efficacy of EGb 761 could be shown on three planes of assessment: the behavioral, the psychopathologic and the psychometric plane. It could be confirmed that, in patients with moderate dementia, short-term intravenous infusion therapy with EGb 761 results in an improvement of psychopathology and cognitive performance, which is reflected in an increased ability to cope with the demands of daily living.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Haase, J., Halama, P., & Hörr, R. (1996). [Effectiveness of brief infusions with Ginkgo biloba Special Extract EGb 761 in dementia of the vascular and Alzheimer type]. Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie.
Vancouver
Haase J, Halama P, Hörr R. [Effectiveness of brief infusions with Ginkgo biloba Special Extract EGb 761 in dementia of the vascular and Alzheimer type]. Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie. 1996. PMID: 8974721.
BibTeX
@article{haase1996-8974721,
author = {Haase, J. and Halama, P. and Hörr, R.},
title = {{[Effectiveness of brief infusions with Ginkgo biloba Special Extract EGb 761 in dementia of the vascular and Alzheimer type]}},
journal = {Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie},
year = {1996},
pmid = {8974721}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. This record has no DOI, so the citation leaves it out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- After therapy, patients of the active substance group scored significantly better (p < 0.05) on each outcome measure than those who received placebo.
- It could be confirmed that, in patients with moderate dementia, short-term intravenous infusion therapy with EGb 761 results in an improvement of psychopathology and cognitive performance, which is reflected in an increased ability to cope with the demands of daily living.
Why it matters
In this small trial of 40 patients with moderate dementia, those given infusions of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 scored better on daily living, global impression, and intelligence measures than those given placebo. This suggests short-term infusion therapy may improve symptoms and daily functioning, but it does not show the disease can be cured or prevented.
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Study details
- Participants40
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 55/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomized controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record and senior author's track record, so those were left out: it earned 51 of the 92 points we could judge it on, which is 55 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomized controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1996 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 40 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomized and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 39 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.2 citations a year over 32 year(s) since 1996 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author R Hörr holds only 9 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin: institution h-index 1,116 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 8974721) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 51 / 92 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 51 of the 92 points we could judge it on is 55 out of 100. |
| Total | 55 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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